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India 274 for 7 (Rohit 115, Ngidi 4-51) beat South Africa 201 (Amla 71, Kuldeep 4-57) by 73 runs
Port Elizabeth: Rohit Sharma 17th ODI century laid the foundations for a series-clinching 73-run victory over South Africa in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday.
Coming into the fifth ODI at Port Elizabeth, India had already managed to take that number to three but a win is what they were after to avoid any drama later.
The dramatics didn’t subside but India did ensure that they took that number of wins in the series to four and clinch their first ever bilateral series win in South Africa.
A 73 run win, at a venue where India had never won, and convincing lead in the top ODI rank only made things much, much sweeter. In the contest itself, some things changed while some remained the same.
As Kohli-led team created history of becoming the first Indian side to win a series in South Africa – across formats – something that Mohammed Azharuddin, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid or MS Dhoni – could not accomplish, he beamed at the post-match presentation.
Prior to the fifth ODI, Rohit Sharma had been under a barren run with just 126 runs in South Africa. On Tuesday he changed all that with 115 runs from 126 balls.
Hardik Pandya faltered with the bat but came roaring back with crucial wickets and his bullet throws that proved to be the difference maker. But above all, wrist spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav once again tipped the game in India’s favour with six wickets between them.
Even the likes of Andile Phehlukwayo and Heinrich Klaasen couldn’t steer the side home this time with the asking rate climbing and the slow surface at Port Elizabeth becoming hard to read especially with Kuldeep and Chahal on the prowl.
After a less than successful effort against Amla, the spinners got the job done to wipe out the lower middle order and the contest.
Earlier during India’s inning, despite Rohit’s 115, the visitors couldn’t take the score to 300 or 300-plus with the middle order failing to pick up the pieces.
Rohit more than made up with a fluent knock which saw its own action. It was riddled with fine shots, edged boundaries and more frustratingly for the dressing room – run outs of Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane. He earned himself some luck too when given a chance to bat on by Tabraiz Shamsi after being dropped at third man when on 96 runs.
India didn’t get the pace required to set up a large total as wickets fell after another and the now World No 1 side scoring just 55 runs in the last 10 overs.
Once again, MS Dhoni’s inability to push the tempo in the last five overs was exposed as he could only muster 13 runs from 17 balls before being sent back to the pavillion as Lungi Ngidi’s four-for put the brakes on India’s run. Bhuvneshwar Kumar added some crucial runs – 19 off 20 balls – to take India past the 270-run mark.
